It’s a chilly autumn afternoon but inside a little Brooklyn bakery, it’s hot. School just let out, and the store is filled with kids eyeing baked goodies. Their banter mixes with Caribbean music playing in the background.
La Gran Via Bakery is an institution in this neighborhood. It’s been around since 1978 — three generations of pastry chefs making cakes, cupcakes and traditional Latin American pastries.
Which is why, when co-owner Betsy Leyva was recently pitched the idea of creating a hamburger restaurant on the side, she balked.
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